Spring-roller fixture



(No Model.)

A. B. SHAW.

SPRING ROLLER FIXTURE.

No. 280,249. 4Patented June 26, 1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AI B. SHAV, OF MEDFORD, MASSACUSETTS.

'SPRING-ROLLER FIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming lpara; ofLetters Patent No. 280,249, dated June2e, 1883.

Application filed January 23, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, AI B. SHAW, a citizen of the United States, residingat Medford, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and use-V ful Improvements in Curtain-Fixtures; andl do hereby declare that the same are fully described in the followingspecication and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

These improvements relate to means for the automatic balancing of theshade while mounted for use, and to devices for retaining the tension ofthe operating-spring when the roller is dismounted. l

The object of this invention is to simplify and perfect spring-balancecurtain-fixtures, and this is accomplished by providing an im provedbalance-weight tending to draw down or uncoil the shade, an improvedfriction device to resist the downward tendency of the weighted shade inits bearings, and an improved locking apparatus to prevent the springfrom uncoiling when the spindle is removed from the brackets. The twodevices first named are operative when the curtain is raised or lowered,the last being at such times dormant.

My invention consists in the devices and combinations of devices setforth in the appended claims.'

In the (lravsings, Figure l is a longitudinal section of a roller endfurnished with my friction device and locking apparatus; Fig. 2, atransverse section at xx, Fig. l; Fig. 3, a view of the parts detached;Fig. 4, a longitudinal "section of my improved weighted stick; and

Fig. 5, a transverse section at z z, Fig. 4, of the stick papered. u;

A isthe tubular end of the cylindrical roller 5 B, the spindle, and Cthe operating-spring, secured at one end to the roller and at the otherto the spindle, 'which it surrounds, and arranged in the usual way, sothat its tension is increased when the curtain is drawn down, and itsrecoil tends to roll the curtain up again.

D is a metal tip, having its shank, d, driven into the wooden spindle Band permanently secured to it by means of a ferrule, E, having a squareopening in its end to receive the square shank d of the part D. Theferrule prevents splitting of the spindle B when the piece D is drivenin. The extremity of the metal piece D is, as usual, tted to enter thebracket only in-a given horizontal position, so as to insure action ofthe parts mounted upon it in the manner hereinafter described.

. The parts comprising the friction device, whereby the balance of poweris maintained between the weight tending downward and the spring tendingupward, will now be described.

The ferrule E has a protuberance on one side, through which is avertical aperture, in which a pawl, F, plays loosely to ride over orengage with theinternal teeth of a ratchet-ring, G, which revolvesfreely'in the direction perinitted by the pawl when the curtain is beingcarried up by the action of the spring. The ratchet-ring G has itsbearing on a cylindrical part, d, of the metal piece D, adjoining theend of the ferrule. The outer face or periphery of this ring has vanotch or recess, H, to

receive the inwardly-turned end t' of a C- spring, l, which is somewhatcompressed and placed just within the end of the tubular roller A,shouldered to receive it. The reaction of the springs causes it to hugtheinner walls of the roller and bear with considerable frictionthereon. i

The operation of this device is as follows: The spring l being placedwithin the roller, its end t' enters the recess H inthe ring G andmaintains that position continually. The roller A, spring I t', and ringG turn together freely when the shade rises; but when it is drawn down,the pawl F holds the ratchet-ringl fast and the ring holds the spring Itfrom turning, so that the roller can only turn by slipping upon thesmooth outer face of the spring, which it does with considerablefriction, sufficient to perfectly balance the shade, but not enough toprevent it being readily lowered by hand. The advantages of thisconstruction are that the friction is between wood and metal, so as tobe noiseless, and the friction-surface is the largest possible withinthe roller, where it is not affected by dust or changes in the weather,requires no lubrication, and is not liable to wear. The advantage ofplacing the vertical pawl F at one side `of the spindle ratherthancentrally is that it thereby rises more freely during the upwardmovement of the shade without chat- Ioo tering, and that any slightimperfection in casting the ratchet-ring G will not cause the pawl toslip over the teeth thereof.

'Ihe locking apparatus, to retain tension of the spiral spring when theroller is dismounted, is in construction and operation as follows: Aflanged disk, K, is secured to the end of the roller A, and mounted upona cylindrical part, d', of the spindle-tip D. Adjoining such cylindricalpart, and integral with it, is an eccentric, d2, upon which thelocking-piece L hangs. A collar, d3, cast in one with the eccentric,holds the locking piece in position at all times. rlhe locking-piece hasa circular opening near one end to receive the eccentricd", and whilethe spindle is in position in the bracket the lock hangs dormant and theroller revolves either way upon the bearing d, the roller end beingcovered and supported by the disk K, attached to it by screws or othermeans. When the roller is dismounted, however, the spring C gives asudden rotary impulse to the spindle, turning the eccentric cl2 withinthe circular opening of the locking=piece and giving it a downwardthrust, bringing its lower end into contact with the iiange of the diskK and effectually preventing further rotation.

-I do not claim, broadly, the employment of a locking-piece hung on acam formed on the spindle and engaging with a fixed part of the roller,since my Patent No. 202,592, granted April 16, 187 8, showed suchcombination, this part of my present invention being limited to thecombination and arrangement of parts as herein stated. The patent toBuckley and Sawyer, dated May 21, 187 8, also shows a locking-piece hungon the spindle at its inner end, which end is mounted in an eccentricbearing.

By preference I cover the end of the roller with a broad ferrule, lVI,which gives a better finish to the fixture, and may serve to hold allthe metallic parts to the roller, in lieu of screws or nails through thedisk K.

It will be observed that with the exception of the spring I z', which isself-fastening within the roller end, all the parts of the friction andlocking mechanism are united in working position when the metal part dof the spindle is driven into the wooden part B. In assembling the partsthe locking-piece is rst slipped over the small end of the metal spindleto its place on the eccentric, then the disk K is placed in positionadjoining it, after which the ratchet-ring is slipped on. rlhe ferruleE, carrying the pawl F, is forced onto the end of the wood spindle, andthe metal shank d, being driven in up to the cylindrical part d',secures all the pieces in their proper order.

It has long been common to provide, as a counter-balance at the bottomof the shade, a fiat wooden stick deeply grooved from end to end, andalmost to its lower edge, to receive a long narrow strip of metal andretain it as a weight. Among the objections to this plan is the factthat the metal strip is liable to slip and short.

.the irons and preventing any ill effects out endwise, and that itinterferes with inserting the screw centrally for the ring or tasselwhereby the shade is manipulated, since there is so little depth of woodthat the screw will hold but a short time. To permit such insertion, ithas been the custom to employ strips of lead, into which it was possibleto enter the screw; but the practice was unsatisfactory and the metalexpensive as compared with iron.

My improvement consists in a slat, S, solid at the center and at eachend, with two vertical pockets or slots, s s, through it from its upperto its lower edge, midway between its center and its ends, and acomparatively thick,

broad, and short metal weight, NV, in each ofV said slots. rlhis planhas the advantages of a solid central part for secure insertion of thetassel-screws vertically or horizontally, and of solid ends retainingthe weights in position, looking better, and not at all liable to split.Such construction also permits the use of short sections of merchantableband-iron for weights, which is very much cheaper than lead or than thenarrow iron heretofore used in the groove of the slat, since with myimprovement the iron may be wide enough to occupy the full width of theslat, and proportionately thick The slots being short and of a breadthcorresponding to the thickness of the iron the 7weights will be graspedwith sufficient pressure to hold them firmly in place. I am, however,accustomed to wrap the slat and weights in a sheet of paper secured inposition by paste, thus concealing and securing from oxidation. Theirons may each be papered before insertion.

I claim as of my invention- 1. As a new article of manufacture, abalance-weight for shade-rollers, consisting of a wooden slat solid. ateach end and at the center, and slotted vertically between the centerand each end, as described, in combination with a metallic weight ineach of said slots, for the purpose set forth.

2. Ihe double-slotted slat herein described, provided with a weight ineach slot, and papered, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The herein-described friction device for V4balance shade-rollers,consisting of the tubular roller A, properly mounted, and the slidingspring Ii within it, in combination with the notched ratchet-ring andthe ferrule and vertical pawl working within it, substantially as setforth.

4. The herein-described locking apparatus for spring-actuatedshade-rollers, consisting of the flanged disk K, secured to the rollerand forming a central bearing therefor, in combination with thelocking-piece L, and with the metal spindle, having integral therewith ashank, d, a cylindrical portion, d', an eccenand the wood solid at eachend of them,

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trie, d2, anda eollarrd, alharranged with recombination With aratchet-ring, with which lation to eachother substantially as'set forth.said pawl engages, substantially as set forth. 1o

5. The feriule E, mounted von the end of;l In testimony whereof I heretoaix my sigthe Wood spindle7 to,V prevent it from splitting nature inpresence of twowitnesses. i

Y 5 when the metal shankd is driven in7 formed AI B. SHAW.

with an anglar opening to t said shank, and Witnesses:

having on one side of its center ayertieal per- A. H. SPENCER, i

foration inolosing a loose gravitating pawl, in E. A. PHELPs.

